Here is another valuable Management Tip of the Day from Harvard Business Review. To sign up for a free subscription to any/all HBR newsletters, please click here.

We live in an instant-response world where a simple push of a button can make something feel urgent. Next time you get that email with the little red exclamation point or the voicemail at 10 p.m., try these three tips for determining how to respond:

Don’t assume urgent means right now. Talk with your boss or your customer about what he wants to accomplish and when it’s really needed. His interpretation of “immediately” may be different than yours.

Respond, but don’t necessarily act. Sometimes a client or colleague wants you to commit right away to a plan of action, but doesn’t need more than that in the short term. Explain what you will do and your intended timeline to be sure that meets her needs.

Be prepared to say no. At times, you need to discern between a true crisis and a cry of wolf. Even if your customer thinks he needs it right now, it may be best to decline.

Today’s Management Tip was adapted from “The Right Response Is Not Always Instant” by Ron Ashkenas.

To read that article and join the discussion, please click here.